Happier Abroad Forum Community

Hey folks,
Check this out. Apparently, we can install Facebook and Google logins and registrations in the forum. This will make it easier for people to sign up and register in the forum, using their Facebook or Google accounts, like some other forums allow. This may bring more visitors to sign up in the forum and result in more participants. At least in theory. However, most people who come here don't want their real name to show, and prefer to remain anonymous (because they are ashamed to be here I guess lol). So I'm not sure if this would do much.

We can try it out though. What do you all think? It can't hurt either way. Integrating social media like that into the forum is normally a good thing, and brings more visitors and participation and modernizes the forum. But on a controversial forum like this? Who knows. What do you all think?

Let's do a poll and see what you all think. Cast your vote above.

We can enable it in the Admin panel and then get keys from Facebook to make it work. See the links below.

https://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=2369266

https://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=2484276

https://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtop ... p=14117821

https://docs.oneall.com/plugins/guide/s ... phpbb/3.1/

https://developers.facebook.com/docs/fa ... cesstokens

No it's a stupid idea. Registration for this forum is already a streamlined process that takes maybe 20 seconds. If you want more lurkers to register then advertise that fact and also allow anonymous posts in the style of your guestbook. Have the posts show up as "hidden" but viewable until they are verified not spam by mods and members or have a separate section similar to NSFW only for anon responses where they can link to threads and contribute.

If you bring in Facebook and Google logins you're giving them a backdoor into your forum and inviting them to spy on your members. They will have more access than ever. It's not worth the convenience and the type of people who prioritize convenience over more important details are not people we want in the first place. It is a breach of privacy and you will lose some of your smarter old members. For what? Angry feminists from Facebook who would come here to spam insults are the only group of people who would ever log in here from Facebook. Because what this forum promotes and discusses is politically incorrect and people won't want it to show up on their background checks when they apply for a job.

Facebook and Google aim to take over the internet and destroy all smaller sites like this which they do not control because they don't want people to have freedom of speech. Why would you allow them access and aid them in screwing you in the near future? Once the internet is completely dominated by the big companies people will be unable to protest and they will be able to do anything they want to your forum. Where are you going to complain then, on Roosh or on Facebook?

I agree with @HappyGuy.

Winston, are you racist?

josephty2 wrote: ↑

May 23rd, 2020, 5:29 am

Winston, are you racist?

Depends on how you define racist. But im not colorblind nor do i see all races as the same. If they were all the same then the term diversity would lose its meaning. Catch 22 for liberals.

I was on Amtrak train and their wifi blocked me from using this website. It said this website promoted racism & xenophobia.

If it does not affect those who have passwords already, I do not care that much. But if I had to share Facebook or Google info with the forum, I'd probably just stop using happierabroad.com.

And both companies have some restrictions on free speech. This forum could get reported or targeted somehow for that, so don't become dependent on them.

Apr 11, 2018
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/11/tech ... rings.html

In 2016, for example, a Missouri man with metastatic cancer sued Facebook. The suit, which sought class-action status, accused the tech giant of violating the man’s privacy by tracking his activities on cancer center websites outside the social network — and collecting details about his possible treatment options — without his permission.

Facebook persuaded a federal judge to dismiss the case. The company argued that tracking users for ad-targeting purposes was a standard business practice, and one that its users agreed to when signing up for the service. The Missouri man and two other plaintiffs have appealed the judge’s decision.

Facebook is quick to note that when users sign up for an account, they must agree to the company’s data policy. It plainly states that its data collection “includes information about the websites and apps you visit, your use of our services on those websites and apps, as well as information the developer or publisher of the app or website provides to you or us.”

Apr 20, 2018
https://www.vox.com/2018/4/20/17254312/ ... zuckerberg

When people navigate around the internet, sites that use Facebook’s advertising pixel or other social APIs linking back to Facebook (like the “Like” button) send data about those site visits back to the social giant. Facebook collects that data on everyone who visits these sites, whether they’re a registered user or not.

no

josephty2 wrote: ↑

May 24th, 2020, 9:26 pm

I was on Amtrak train and their wifi blocked me from using this website. It said this website promoted racism & xenophobia.

When the internet is monopolized by corporations it will be as bad as corporate television.

josephty2 wrote: ↑

May 24th, 2020, 9:26 pm

I was on Amtrak train and their wifi blocked me from using this website. It said this website promoted racism & xenophobia.

Yeah thanks to Cornfed. lol. What if I just move his offending posts to the NSFW section? Would we be cleared I wonder?

MrMan wrote: ↑

May 24th, 2020, 10:59 pm

If it does not affect those who have passwords already, I do not care that much. But if I had to share Facebook or Google info with the forum, I'd probably just stop using happierabroad.com.

And both companies have some restrictions on free speech. This forum could get reported or targeted somehow for that, so don't become dependent on them.

You misunderstand. The Facebook login would be optional, for those who want to sign up quickly with the click of a button. You've seen that on other sites remember? You would have the option of using your account or a FB login. Many blogs have FB logins to post comments too.

Btw we've been using the FB share button above for years. And we have a FB group too. So I'm sure FB already knows about us. Nothing bad has resulted from that right? FB doesn't have power over this site anyway. Our webhost is not connected to FB. So why do you fear them?

HappyGuy wrote: ↑

May 24th, 2020, 11:59 pm

Apr 11, 2018
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/11/tech ... rings.html

In 2016, for example, a Missouri man with metastatic cancer sued Facebook. The suit, which sought class-action status, accused the tech giant of violating the man’s privacy by tracking his activities on cancer center websites outside the social network — and collecting details about his possible treatment options — without his permission.

Facebook persuaded a federal judge to dismiss the case. The company argued that tracking users for ad-targeting purposes was a standard business practice, and one that its users agreed to when signing up for the service. The Missouri man and two other plaintiffs have appealed the judge’s decision.

Facebook is quick to note that when users sign up for an account, they must agree to the company’s data policy. It plainly states that its data collection “includes information about the websites and apps you visit, your use of our services on those websites and apps, as well as information the developer or publisher of the app or website provides to you or us.”

Apr 20, 2018
https://www.vox.com/2018/4/20/17254312/ ... zuckerberg

When people navigate around the internet, sites that use Facebook’s advertising pixel or other social APIs linking back to Facebook (like the “Like” button) send data about those site visits back to the social giant. Facebook collects that data on everyone who visits these sites, whether they’re a registered user or not.

What's the big deal if FB shows you some ads? You can just ignore them. They are usually in the corner of the webpage anyway. Why does anyone need to sue for that? lol

Btw we've been using the FB share button above for years. And we have a FB group too. So I'm sure FB already knows about us. Nothing bad has resulted from that right? FB doesn't have power over this site anyway. Our webhost is not connected to FB. So why do you fear them?

Winston wrote: ↑

May 25th, 2020, 5:52 am

josephty2 wrote: ↑

May 24th, 2020, 9:26 pm

I was on Amtrak train and their wifi blocked me from using this website. It said this website promoted racism & xenophobia.

Yeah thanks to Cornfed. lol. What if I just move his offending posts to the NSFW section? Would we be cleared I wonder?

Thanks to having Google bots for the forum a Facebook group.

Winston wrote: ↑

May 25th, 2020, 5:52 am

josephty2 wrote: ↑

May 24th, 2020, 9:26 pm

I was on Amtrak train and their wifi blocked me from using this website. It said this website promoted racism & xenophobia.

Yeah thanks to Cornfed. lol. What if I just move his offending posts to the NSFW section? Would we be cleared I wonder?

Lol, in 2017 that might have been a plausible assumption, but these days even your own posts would be completely beyond the pale as far as the censors are concerned. Anything short of 100% political correctness will attract reprisals. Think of all the free thinkers you have followed over the years. Who among them has not attracted deplatforming of some sort?